Pressure-generator.



F. HOMEWOOD.

PRESSURE GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED my 31. m1.

1,277,.3 1 4. Patentd Aug. 27, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR WITNESS-ES v Z2 i lgs' BY ATTORNEY m: NORRrs PETERS coy. Pnoruuma. wAsmNGruN, a c.

F: HOMEWOOD.

PRESSURE GENERATOR. v APPLICATION FILED JULY 3!, 1911.

1,277,,3 1 4. Patented Aug. 27, l9l8.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR W ATTORNEY flexiblejpiape's leading thereto, more particu-i larly illustrating the bottom plate of the combustion chamber carrying the burner as.

. the air compressor dotted. Words are .applied to these parts, and also to the com- UNITED sTATEsrATENT onnIoE.

r sumes HOMEWQQD, 9 teame ne $93 rRnssUnE-GEnnnAron. Y

t Specification of Letters Patent. Eaten-1 d A gq 1918.

., Appl-icationjfiled July 31, 19157. SeriaLNo. 183,740.

' To all whom it may concern:

HoM-n- Be it known that I, ,FREDERICK wool), a subject of the l iing of Great Brit.

a111, residing at Syracuse, in the .county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented new and, useful Improvements in Pressure-Generators, of whi h the following is a specification.-

This invention relatcs to :heat engine plants, andmore especially .to pressuregenera-tors actuated by the injection of combustion products; and the object of the same is to produce a liglrt,e;liicient, and strong machine oat this character wherein the higlr;

est possible percentage of the'heat units are utilized {for the generation of pressure in the shape of steam andgases, wlnleeletracb mg as l ttle as poss blefrointhe generated pressure for purpose otanaintaining the actlon of the generator.

Detailsof the preferred construction of my apparatus will be found in ztllG following specification, reference being had to the;

drawings wherein Figure 1 is .a side elevation and Fig. 2 is a plan of this vgenerator, iboth views being to a large extent diagrammatic, and the pipes and wires belng led as de abnormally to show the valves and other instrumentalities introduced therein.

Fig. 3 is angfenllarged vertical section through the combustionchamber, and Fig. .l

is a horizontal section itherethroug'h, giving a plan view of the burner as in place at the bottom of said chamber.

Fig. 7 75 is a, detail of {the burner and the removed so as to give, access to its interior.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic .deta-il .ot a pump whichmay be inserted in the lfuelssupply P P As the firstitwo views are gtOitIl extent ,diaQ

grammatic, l'haveithought :it-,wise to apply words to the several principalinstrumentalities and to break away the front Wall of the largest taukto make it clear that it contains a horizontal partition dividing into awater chamber {at .the top and an air chamber at thebottom; and I:have shown bustion chalnbeig fuel'talrk, gas tank, and the vibrator coil and. batterles. maklng up part of the igniter. The reader can therefore gather at glancekfrom thefirst :two

views what constitutes the assemblage of elements, and, although I .do not .wish to be mi to thescl ta herein-set forth for illustrative purposes only, I will describe separately the construction of these various elements. 7 I, p V 1 The tank 1 is divided by horizon tal partition 2 into a water chamber at itsupper portion, and the top of thesame has a filling nipple ttll ou gh which water may be admitted f-nom time .to tin1e,.;af ter which the opening is closed by suitable means. Said partition 2 produces beneath it within said .main tank an air chamber 5 whose pressure is indicated by agage 6 andmay be establislled at stanting by a hand pump 7, although eventually it is maintained .by the air pump or compressor 8 which is driven by motive fluid supplied through pipe-9, and the flow Ofthisfluid is controlled by a governor LOgof any suitable type connected witqhand actuated by pressure .WithiIlithe air chamber 5 in anranner not necessary to explainin detaih The obvious purpose is to utilize .the governor for admitting more fluid through thepipe 9 and accelerating the action of the comand away, to the point where the [fluid .gen-

erated by this aplparatus is to be used.

' From this pipe the branch pipe .9 leads to the air compressor 8 as described above, and through thee-branch some of t-he fluid generated is taken .to drive :the compressor. l/Vater is supplied to the jacket 12 through a water pipe .16 controlled ,by a shut-oft cook 17 whereby the desired amount of water maybe taken yflOHl the chamber 8 and "admitted to the jacket to replace the wastage. therein which occurs by its. .conver sion -i1'1to-steam. The pressure of the latter is indicated on a gage 118, and :19 des gnates a safetyrvalve. V r r The heater which I prefer to employ is best seen in Figs. 3 to 5, and is broadly designated in Fig. 5 by the numeral 20. Briefly it is a burner composed of a perforated ring for fluid fuel surrounded by a perforated ring through which air is forced. The inner or fuel ring 21 is supplied in a manner described below, and the outer or air ring 22 supplied with air through a pipe 23 leading from the compressed air chamber 5 and controlled by a regulating cook 24. Both rings are by preference secured upon a plate 25 which normally constitutes the bottom of the combustion chamber 11 but is shown removed in Fig. 5 so that access to the interior of this chamber may be had, and inorder to permit its removal the supply pipes are preferably flexible. The plate may be fastened in place by any suitable means such as the catches 26. The plate is pierced with an opening 27 constituting a lower port, and the shell of the combustion chamber at or near its top has another opening 28 constituting an. upper port both these openings being controlled by plates or dampers as seen and by means of which they may be closed when desired.

The fuel tank is broadly designated by the numeral 30 and is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as standing next the combustionchamber so thatthe gasolene or other liquid fuel therein is warmed. It has a filling nipple 39, in the top, closed by a suitable cap or plug and through which the fuel is supplied from time to time. This apparatus is capable of burning heavy oils, light oils, asolene, or other volatile liquid combustibles. The fluid flows from the tank through a pipe 31 near its bottom into the fuel ring 21described above. Pressure is placed on the fuel within this tank by means of a pipe .34 controlled by a shut-ofl' cock 35, said pipe leading from thecompressed air chamber 5. Obviously when thecock is opened so as to admit compressed air to the upper portion of the tank 30 above the fuel therein, thelatter is forced out its outlet pipe 31 to the fuel ring 21, and in order to regulate its flow I provide the fuel pipe 31 with a cook or regulator 37 The pipes 31 and 21have check valves 31 and 21 respectively, as seen in Fig. 5.

The igniting or starting mechanism is shown at the left end of Figs. 1 and 2. A small gas tank 40 has a gas pipe 41 controlled by a cook 42 and leading to a point 43 where it unites with the fuel pipe 31, beyond which the latter'leads to the gas ring; and when the cook 42 is opened, gas from the tank 40 flows to thisring. Mounted on the plate 25 is a spark plug 44 from which wires 45 lead to a vibrator 46, and thence through a battery 47 and are grounded at 48through the metal portion of the apparatus. By closing a switch 49 in this systo permit a little air to pass into the ring 22.

term, a spark is generated at the electrodes of the plug within or adjacent the ring burner, and by admitting a little gas at the same time, the burner is ignited in a manner which will be clear. Immediately thereafter the liquid fuel is admitted and vaporization commences, so that the apparatus runs as described below, and the cook 42 can be closed so as to shut off the supply of gas and the switch 49 opened to break the circuit through the spark plug. Obviously, therefore, this last detail is principally for starting, although it is quite within the province of my invention to utilize this detail whenever it is desired.

The operation of this apparatus is as follows: Initial pressure is set up in the air chamber 5 by means of the hand pump 7. The chamber 3 is filled with water, and the cock 17 opened to permit water to flow through the pipe 16 into the jacket 12 and to rise therein to about the water level in the shell of the combustion chamber 11. The ports 27 and 28 are opened at first, gas is admitted from the tank 40, and a spark 90 is created so that the ring burner 21 is ignited. This is allowed to burn long enough to convert a portion of the water within the jacket into steam, and the latter flows out the pipe 15 and down the branch 9 to the air compressor 8, which eventually begins to operate. Meanwhile the cock 37 has been adjusted to permit a little fluid fuel to pass into the ring 21 and the cook 24 adjusted The gas can be cut off and the switch 49 opened, and thereafter when the ports 27 and 28 are closed the heater is burning, the fluid fuel is vaporized at the point where it flows out the perforations in the ring 21 and mixed with air admitted from the chamber 5. The products of combustion rising from this burner pass through the fines 13 and space 14, and mix with the steam rising from the water in the jacket .12, and the mixture flows out the pipe 15 and may be led to the point of use; but it will be clear that the presence of the jacket and of the steam prevents the overheating of parts by the intense heat generated by the burner, and thus all burning out of the apparatus or its parts is prevented. The proximity of the tank or casing containing the water chamber and air chamber, and the tank containing fuel, to and perhaps in contact with the side walls of the combustion chamber, utilizes the heat of the water in the jacket 12 thereof for heating the water, air, and liquid fuel; whereas the air compressor may be more remote, as well as the gas tank and the starting mechanism. In fact, Fig. 2 while being diagrammatic, shows a quite convenient arrangement and almost the proper relative proportion of parts. After the machine is running, the governor 10 controls the supply of motive fluid to the air compressor which works constantly, and excess of pressure in the space 14 escapes through the safety valve diagrammatically indicated at 19. From time to time of course the water chamber and the fuel tank must be replenished, and on rare occasions the apparatus will be stopped so as to inspect the interior and clean the parts if necessary. However, I find that the presence of steam within the combustion chamber 11 prevents the accumulation of carbon which is so often present with machines of this character that run on the internal combustion principle.

Thus far I have described the device as intended for use for limited periods of time, but for longer running it probably will be wise to supply the water to the jacket forcibly through a suitable pump mechanism, rather than by fountain or gravity feed as suggested above; and possibly it may also be wise to insert a force feed pump in the fuel supplypipe. In all cases I prefer to use the compressor 8 whereby air is forced through the pipe into the air chamber 5 and is under pressure therein, and when once the pressure is established, the action of this compressor is controlled by the governor 10. As the use ofa water pump is probable rather than possible, I have indicated it at 51 in Figs. 1 and 2 as inserted in the water supply pipe 16 between the water compartment 3 and the jacket 12. This pump is driven by motive fluid which flows from the space 14 through a pipe 52, and the inlet of said fluid is controlled by a float valve diagrammatically indicated at 53. When the water level within the jacket 12 falls, the float valve opens and fluid is admitted through the pipe 52 to the motor 51,

the action of which drives the pump and forces water into the jacket to restore its proper water level-such restoration cutting off the supply of motive fluid and checking the action of the motor. As the use of the fuel pump is possible rather than probable,

I have omitted it from Figs. 1 and 2, but it is shown diagrammatically in detail in Fig. 6. It also has a motor 61 to which the power fluid is admitted from the space 14 through a pipe 63, and the action of this motor drives a pump 62 which is inserted within the fuel pipe 31, preferably between the point 43 therein and the fuel tank. When this pump is employed it is driven automatically by fluid pressure through the branch pipe 63, but the flow of the fluid is ever under control of the valve 37. When the water pump is employed it is driven by motive fluid through the pipe 52, but the action of the pump is under control of the float valve 53 and therefore the pump works only when the water level falls. The air compressor as stated above, works only when the air pressure falls, and the flow of air from the air chamber to the combustion chamber is controlled by the cook 24. I do not wish to be limited as to the details of construction of these several instrumentalities.the pumps, the motors therefor, the regulators for said motors, and the control valvesnor confined to their use in large or small machines. They are to an extent refinements like the gage 18, safety valve 19, water-glass66, try-cocks 69, and the spe cific igniting or sparking mechanism shown. The starting pump 7 may also take any appropriate form, or might be replaced by means for admitting a charge of air from an appropriate tank containing compressed air. The burner also, while described in detail, may take any appropriate form. These and other details may beleft to the manufacturer and user.

What is claimed, as new is 1. In a pressure generator, the combination with a tank divided by a horizontal partition into water chamber at the top and an air chamber at the bottom, a combustion chamber adjacent said tank, a fuel tank also adjacent said combustion chamber, a heater in the lower portion of the latter, and means for supplying fuel from the fuel tank to said heater and air from the air chamber to said tion with a jacketed combustion chamber, a

main outlet pipe leading from its upper end, means for supplying water constantly to its jacket, an air chamber, a compressor for maintaining air under pressure therein, a

branch from the-main pipe to the compressor for actuating the latter, a burner within the combustion chamber, and means for leading air from the air chamber to the burner; of a liquid fuel tank communicating with said burner, means for conveying compressed air from the air chamber to the upper portion of said tank, a gas tank also connected with said burner, a cock in the connections, a

sparking plug adjacent said burner, and

means for creating a spark thereon at will.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FREDERICK HOMEWOOD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G." 

